Improved soegeum-evapokatob



W. HANSON.

Sorghum Evaporatnr.

N0.'66,0l9. Patented June 25, 1867.

rzmm Phwlo-Ulhoanphm Washinglom D. c.

initrn giant igstrnt @ffirr.

IMPROVED SORGHUM-EVAPORATOR.

digs fidgrtulr month 1min flgcst g itters 33min ma mating pnttnt flgesame.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HANSON, of Willoughhy, in the county ofLake, and State of Ohio, have invented certain improvements inSorghum-Evaporators; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operationofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- 1Figure 1 is aview in perspective of my improved sorghum-evaporator.

Figure 2, a plan view of the evaporating-vat.

Figure 3, a sectional elevation of said vat, with the lever-arm anddrain-gate.

Figure 4, plan view of the framed bars united in sections.

Figure 5, a section view of the same through line a-b, fig. 4.

Figures, 6 and 7-, plan and elevation of the partitioned tank.

Figure 8, plan View of the body of the evaporator.

Figure 9, sectional elevation of same through line c-d; and

Figure 10, perspective view of one of the two fire-dampers placed overthe auxiliary fire-box.

The letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.

. My-improvements relate to an arrangement of devices for moreefl'ectually treating andrefining saccharine juices. The machine underconsideration isiconstrncted and arranged so as to be adapted for mapleand sorghum juices, and more particularly the last named. My saidimprovements are embodied in the following:

First. partitioned tank in two divisions, for Containing the juice, andin which it is defecated and heated as the separation of the feculentmatter goes on, the said tank being located over an auxiliary firebox,from whence the clear defecated juice is conveyed off to theevaporating-vat through a stop-cock and hose pipe attached to eachdivision located above the layer of sediment.

Second. The employment of two dampers peculiarly constructed, as will beexplained, located between the bottom of said tank and the fire-box, sothat when the juice is heated enough the heat can be shut off and theatmospheric air admitted to keep it at the right temperature. I a

Third. The use of a set of framed bars constructed with flat upper facesand connected in sections, and resting on ledges placed within theevaporating-vat, the said framed bars serving as a partial cover to theboiling juice, and tending to keep the same in a frothy condition duringthe boiling, and allowing the scum to rise between the open spaces ofthe said bars and deposit on their flat upper faces, so that it can bereadily skimmed off from time to time. The said sets of bars arearranged so as to be moved back and forth, or agitated during theboiling process by a convenient lever. l

. Fourth. The improved construction of the body of the evaporator,consisting of a main fire-box at the front end, and a wide andgradually-contracted fire-channel terminating in the auxiliary fire-boxbefore men tioned; also in the improved construction of the said mainfire-box, the same being provided with elongated draught openings in thehearth, which is brick lined; and

Fifth. The arrangement of long lever-arms on each side of theevaporating-vat, so as to be easy of access to the attendant when at thefront or sides of the vat, so that he can control the fiow of the sirupatothedrain outlet.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my said improvedsorghum-evaporator, I will describe. the construction of its severalparts and the manner of operating it.

A, fig. 1, is the body of the machine, supported on two sills, B B, bypairs of legs, C C and D D. The said body may be made of sheet ironriveted together, or of cast-iron plates put together in the usual way.Its general form is shown in' figs. 1, 8,'and 9. E is a fire-box, whichI term the main fire-box, and is located at the forward end. It is to beof suitable capacity for the size and length of the body. The mainfeature of the said fire-box'is in the elongated draught openings, F FF, fig. 8. The horizontal space or channel for the passage of the firetowards the exit opening is made broad and the depth shallow, as shownat G, fig. 8, and H, fig. 9. The depth decreases from the end near thefire-box, as shown at H. and H fig. 9. At the back end is a secondfire-box, which I term the auxiliary fire-box it is shown in fig. 9,.and marked I. -Over the said firebox are placed iron bars, J J. K, fig.2, is an evaporating-vat of sheet iron or other suitable material.Resting on. its bottom are two ledges, L L, as seen. The size or area ofthe said vat will, of course, depend on the capacity, of the wholemachine. M, figs-i' 1, 6, and 7. is a metal tank. Its noticeable featureis the partition N, which divides it into two distinct compartments, 0and 0, each compartment having a stop-cock, P, and hose pipe'P. A seriesof long narrow wooden bars, Q, fig. 4, is framed in sections of, sayfour each; each section is coupled by a free joint, B. These bars are tobe as long as will extend across the inside width of theevaporating-vat. The upper facesare made fiat, and are rounding on theunder sides. They may be, say, one inch wide on top, and three-quartersof an inch deep, and placed, when framed together, to present openingsof one-half inch or three-quarters of an inch in width. The first set ofsaid bars, it will be observed, has a strip, S, secured to its middle,to receive two levers, T and T, working on a pivot in said strip. On theupper edges of the sides of the said evaporating-vat (fig. 2) arepivoted two long-armed levers, U and U, on the ends of which are gates,V and V, which shut upon sluice or drain holes, W W, at the farther endof the vat. X, fig. 10, is one of two dampers of sheet or cast iron,which are used over the auxiliary fire-box and under the tank M. Theyare supported on the bars J J. Its sides Y Y and back end Y, it will beseen, are turned up at right angles. To put the machine in working orderthe evaporating-vat isput in its place and the series of framed barsplaced therein, supported on the ledges L L, the levers T T beingsecured on the pivots provided for them on the upper edges of the sidesof the vat. The sluice-gatesV V are then put in place'and their levers UU secured on the pivots on said upper edges, as shown infig. 1. The tankM is then placed over the auxiliary fire-box.

I will now describe the way. in which I proceed in the manufacture ofthe sirup. First, the two divisions of the tank are filledwith the juiceand the fire in the auxiliary fire-box started. Whilst itis being heatedI put in the defecating material. For this purpose I employ milk of.lime. I use as much thereof as will neutralize the acid and cut theglutinous matter, the neutraliaation. of the acid being determined bythe usual test-paper. This is being done whilst the heating of the juiceis going on. When it (the juice) is sufficiently heated, and the properseparation of the'feculent or foreign matter has taken place, a partsinking and the other .floating as scum, I put in the dampers to shieldthe bottom of the tank from the direct heat of the fire, and at the sametime admit the atmospheric air between it and the bottom. Thisprecaution is necessary to prevent the boiling of the juice, which wouldotherwise disturb and mix up the sediment and scum with the clarifiedportion. This clarified portion, which is shown by the dotted lines infig. 7, is to be drawn oif through the stop-cock and hose. (Thestop-cock, it will be seen, is just above the upper surface of thesediment.) Before commencing to draw ed the said clarified juice I startthe fire in the main fire-box, and while the vat is being heated I allowit (the juice) to run off gradually, the said hose pipe conducting it tothe forward end of the vat and immediately over the fire in an alreadyheated. state. This expedites the boiling, which would'not be the caseif the juice emptied into the vat cold. The juice will now commenceboiling at the forward end, thispart of the vat being immediately overthe main fire-box. Here, of course, the heat will be strongest,gradually lessening as it spreads and passes to the exit end, so thatthe thickening juice, as it passes on, is in 'no' danger of burning orscorching if proper care is observed. The framed bars, previously placedin the vat, it will be noticed, act asv a lid or cover (at leastpartially jso)over the boiling juice. There are peculiar uses derivedfrom the employment of the said bars, which I will explain: first, thejuice is kept in afrothy state during the boiling, with but littleebullition; and second, all the foreign matter produced by this boilingis thrown up between the openings of the bars-and deposited on the flatuppersurfaces thereof, (as shown by the arrows in fig. 5,) where it canbe expeditiously and cleanly skimmed oii from time to time so long assuch deposit goes on.

The skimming process in the formation of puresirups from sorghum hasalways been regarded as an important operation and a very irksome one,often requiring excessive attention to produce an article of sirup thatshall be devoid of the unpleasant flavor often found in samples, and torefine it so as to grain or crystallize. My mode of purifying the sir'upby first separating the juice before it is turned into the vat, asheretofore explained, coupled with the facility for taking out whatforeign matter might be further produced by the boiling,' will be, it ispresumed, fully appreciated by all engagedin the business. The sirup, asit becomes sufficiently formed, is drained off through the sluice holesat the back end of the vat, the flow therefrom being regulated by theattendant as the proper formation takes place. Sometimes it is necessarythat the sections of the framed bars be moved horizontally back andforth, to break up and open the body of froth during the boiling, so asit (the froth) may assumea more solid form and be thrown into and underthe liquid portion to the heated bottom of the vat, similar-to stirringthe frothy contents of a boilingkettleto prevent burning. For thispurpose the lever T or T is moved horizontally back and forth. Twolevers are provided, one on each side of the vat, so that the attendant,if on either side, has one of them within reach. This is also the casewith the drain-levers U and U, and they extend to the front end,enabling the attendant to operate them from any point of the vat. Thetank, as before stated, having two compartments, possesses thisadvantage: as one is discharging into the vat the attendant canbefilling and preparing the other; thus a continuous flow of thedefecated juice is kept up. The main fire-place is constructed with aview to the saving of fuel. The brick surfaces between the elongated-draught holes seen'in the bottom allow the hot embers to remainthereon, and thus afford heat for the boiling juice for a considerabletime before adding fresh fuel. The object in making the framed bars insections is for the purpose of detaching them for cleaning; they areconnected by a free joint, so that each one can be detached separately.

Sirup produced by my above-described improved evaporator is pure, lightcolored, and transparent, possessing none of the objectionable flavoroften found in samples treated by the old method. In my mode it will beseen every step taken tends to the purification of the juice,-and toprevent burning or scorching while it is being converted into sirup. 7

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The employment of the partitioned tank M, provided with stop-cocksand hostel and I in combination with the evaporating-vat K, auxiliaryfire-box I, dampers X X, constructed with t n 'ned-up edges Y Y and Y,arranged and operating as and for the purpose specified.

I g I 2. The framed bars c construoted as described, and connectedtogether in sections hy free joints R, and provided with levers T and T,in combination with the evaporating-vat K, provi led with ledges L,operating as and for the purpose set forth. p 1

3. Constructing the body of the evaporator with a. main fire-box, E, atits front end, a wide and graduallyoontraoted fire-channel H andauxiliary fire-box I, arranged and Operating as specified.

4. Providing the main fire-box E with elongated draught openings, FF F,through the bottom thereof, and with briok-1ined intermediatespaoesbetween said openings, so as to operate as and foi the purposeherein stated; -5. The use of extended IeVer-ar'msU U, located as shownin fig. 1, antl operating the drain-gates V V in the manner specified,in combination with the evaporating-vat K, as set forth.

WM. HANSON.

Witnesses:

J. F. SiNGLE, M. S. HARVEY.

